A sweltering mascot, freeloading buskers, and early planting. Ask The Hoosierist.

Former biology teacher Halle Haste lives on 25 acres in Roachdale, west of Indianapolis, where she grows her own produce, preserves it for the winter, hunts and butchers, keeps bees, and scratch-cooks nearly everything her family of four eats at home. Oh, she also helps run the family business, Haste Woodworking. She’s the kind of woman you just want to follow around to learn her Jedi ways. Ready are you?